This issue of Best Practice looks at the best-known tools for monitoring and evaluating communication campaigns. View Summary

This issue of Best Practice looks at the best-known tools for monitoring and evaluating communication campaigns. It covers the two main uses of tracking studies: measuring exposure to the advertising, and measuring changing attitudes to the brand. The most familiar proprietary tracking methods are described and discussed, and their relevance to advertising accountability and brand equity modelling explored. As usual with best practice papers, a thorough key reading list is provided.

2

Designing post-testing for the third millennium

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Spike Cramphorn, Admap, November 2002, Issue 433, pp. 43-46

In this final article on advertising research for the third millennium Spike Crampthorne asks readers to consider the approach to advertising research in 1982 and shows that views widely held at the time are now known to be seriously flawed. View Summary

In this final article on advertising research for the third millennium Spike Crampthorne asks readers to consider the approach to advertising research in 1982 and shows that views widely held at the time are now known to be seriously flawed. Problems pondered in the early eighties included 'Would sales be a useful indicator', and 'Was the advertising persuasive', the author compares traditional tracking methods of twenty years ago with alternatives developed in this article and shows how pre and post testing can be integrated into a common framework. Carefully matched quota samples are employed at all stages with the sample responding to neutral brand stimulus or to advertising, this the author asserts will, over time' provide a magnified picture of the advertising's effect on the brand product relationship (BPR). He discusses this approach and its effect on continuous tracking which he predicts will evolve towards intermittent pulsed measurements. He asserts that the future will be about ensuring brand-communications management.

Some criticism has been raised that tracking systems are inefficient (and do not provide the information needed) when making important media strategy and optimisation decisions. View Summary

Some criticism has been raised that tracking systems are inefficient (and do not provide the information needed) when making important media strategy and optimisation decisions. 0MD Denmark has been working with a large number of advertisers in Denmark and the Nordic region and has gained insights into building tracking systems that support top-level advertising decisions. This working paper discusses different ways of using data in a more operational way in order to utilise the systems to their fullest. There are different ways of using tracking systems that can provide new knowledge of the client's market and strategies - on both the general and brand levels. This paper describes how to use a set of key figures for all campaigns for evaluation and general knowledge. It also explores how models and scenario planning can be utilised as important tools for TV optimisation. Two short case studies illustrate how modelling can help with critical media decisions.

This paper demonstrates that household panel data can be used to improve our understanding of how advertising impacts our consumers to deliver the measured volumetric responses we observe. View Summary

This paper demonstrates that household panel data can be used to improve our understanding of how advertising impacts our consumers to deliver the measured volumetric responses we observe. Moving beyond 'units per TRP” calculations to understanding whether advertising is driving brand penetration or working more by influencing the current brand franchise can lead to different strategic media decisions. Also, utilizing household data we can, for the first time, understand how our advertising is performing against the consumer target for which the advertising was developed and the media placement selected. Lastly, building on this learning, we can demonstrate that the measured short-term response due to advertising represents only a fraction of our advertising’s true lifetime value to our brands.

5

Can purchasing data assist in targeting media spend?

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Tracy Waring and Lisa Pollard, Admap, November 1998

Describes with examples from Superpanel/mediaSPAN data the benefits of basing media planning on purchasing behaviour, derived from single-source data, rather than demographics.

Describes with examples from Superpanel/mediaSPAN data the benefits of basing media planning on purchasing behaviour, derived from single-source data, rather than demographics.

6

How should advertisers budget? First steps on the MAX journey

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Michael J. Naples and Paul Root, Admap, September 1998

Describes the MAX (Managing Advertising Expenditure) Project in the USA. This started in December 1996, under the auspices of the Marketing Science Institute and the American Association of Advertising Industries. View Summary

Describes the MAX (Managing Advertising Expenditure) Project in the USA. This started in December 1996, under the auspices of the Marketing Science Institute and the American Association of Advertising Industries. Primary aim is to understand and improve the advertising budgeting process. There are two tracks of investigation: 1) to understand how advertising managers develop and communicate advertising budgets; 2) quantitative study of the new developments in information sources and analysis/modelling techniques. Specific MAX-related topics and MSI research projects are briefly described under 3 heads: a) advertising budgeting in the context of marketing effectiveness and shareholder value; b) the gap between theory and practice in how marketing communications/advertising budgets are established; c) how advances in market measurements and models are being used. Studies under heading b) reveal that the factors which, in theory, should be used to determine budgets have little effect in practice, and that 'inertia...is very powerful'. Under heading c), interviews with leading firms show that new modelling methods, especially using scanner data, have become important business tools; but 'the techniques offered by advertising research companies...are not necessarily the measurements that drive the business, or the numbers that go into the marketing plans...those numbers are sales and volume based'. MAX is a journey rather than a destination, aimed at improving the process rather than perfecting it. One of 8 articles in a feature on advertising and media research in the United States.

7

Maintaining marketing mix control

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Paul Freeman, Admap, March 1995

The author, writing from the point of view of a world-wide fmcg company with a huge annual marketing spend in Europe, discusses the `data revolution' resulting from scanners, and some of the problems of getting the data that are really needed. View Summary

The author, writing from the point of view of a world-wide fmcg company with a huge annual marketing spend in Europe, discusses the `data revolution' resulting from scanners, and some of the problems of getting the data that are really needed. This is not helped by the power of the retailers over their data, particularly in Europe, which results in ever-increasing costs and biased data sets. The author discusses the possibility of advertisers working together to determine what they really want, possibly through ISBA, and then commissioning it directly from research companies, independently of media and channel owners. But the data revolution is here to stay, and researchers, even in advertising agencies, will have to become involved in the `heavy metal end' of continuous data and modelling, or risk becoming obsolete. It will change the way fmcg companies use information: 'do not underestimate the pace of this change; expect it to accelerate, logarithmically'. Paper given at the AMSO Annual Conference, January 1995.

This important paper concerns longer-term (year-on-year) brand growth and the mechanisms that seem to be involved. View Summary

This important paper concerns longer-term (year-on-year) brand growth and the mechanisms that seem to be involved. The underlying issues were determined during the course of three dissimilar 15-year periods from 1950-1994. Some major recent studies, reported here, explore the situation as we enter a fourth phase in which real brand growth will be rare, hardly ever dramatic, and determined more by consumer penetration when the brand is small, and jointly by penetration and frequency of purchase when the brand is medium-sized or large. This major study is based on U.S. Nielsen and IRI data covering 1251 packaged goods loads across 14 categories disaggregated to the household level.

9

10 observations about syndicated research

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Dr Timothy Joyce, Admap, September 1994

There may be no major recipe for massively successful long-running surveys like the Target Group Index, or America's MRI. View Summary

There may be no major recipe for massively successful long-running surveys like the Target Group Index, or America's MRI. But the author of this paper created each of these. Moreover, his modestly titled '10 observations' wholly free of research jargon and obscurantism will be of absolute interest to laymen users of these powerful and evolving tools. And for the planners of a new one, they constitute sheer gold.

10

Sales promotion and the information revolution

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Nielsen, Admap, January 1993

This article from Nielsen, adapted from a paper read at the Advertising Association's conference 'The Outlook for Advertising and the Media in 1993' discusses the changing scene in grocery markets and...

This article from Nielsen, adapted from a paper read at the Advertising Association's conference 'The Outlook for Advertising and the Media in 1993' discusses the changing scene in grocery markets and the new information now available from EPOS scanners and advanced computer technology, concentrating especially on how sales promotions can now be monitored and evaluated.

11

Vital statistics

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Alan Ellerton and Colleen Ryan, Admap, January 1993

The article summarises the statistical evidence about how research is used by its users: what do we know about the buyers, how much do they spend, what proportion of their marketing budgets, how profitable is it, etc? The first half of the paper focuses on heavy users and their major suppliers, where most of the business is. View Summary

The article summarises the statistical evidence about how research is used by its users: what do we know about the buyers, how much do they spend, what proportion of their marketing budgets, how profitable is it, etc? The first half of the paper focuses on heavy users and their major suppliers, where most of the business is. The second half, a supply-side look at research activity as a whole, fleshes out the financial aspects and provides interesting international comparisons.

12

New capabilities. The revolution in continuous marketing research and why it's happening.

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Colin Buckingham, Admap, October 1992

This article describes the revolutionary changes taking place in continuous market research, especially with scanning data and the development of electronic databases. View Summary

This article describes the revolutionary changes taking place in continuous market research, especially with scanning data and the development of electronic databases. The main factors are better and more sensitive data, integration into more powerful single information systems, improved accessibility and presentation. New technology makes this possible, but client demand for change is driving it. Other visible changes: a faster speed, the converging of store and home panel data analysis, and the prospect of chain-specific data heralded by an important new Safeway initiative.

13

Tracking sales - Latest best practice in electronic data capture

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Colin Buckingham, Admap, June 1991

The author brings us up to date on the development of EPOS, consumer scanning and single-source data in Nielsen in Europe. View Summary

The author brings us up to date on the development of EPOS, consumer scanning and single-source data in Nielsen in Europe. EPOS combined with in-home information (Homescan) is producing much faster, clearer pictures of sales progress, and which parts of the marketing mix do what for each brand. Now single-source data adds in media reception and strategy to the whole picture, showing delivery against target.

14

Qualitative notions and company decision-taking

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Martin Callingham, Admap, January 1991

A meditation on how companies, in practice, take decisions. The process is complex and cyclical, not sequential. View Summary

A meditation on how companies, in practice, take decisions. The process is complex and cyclical, not sequential. It is determined by the company's `personality' (definable in terms of vision, culture, spirit) and its `mental health'. Contrary to received theory, in a healthy company environment, `facts' tend to function as modifiers of thought and therefore of decision, rather than as prescriptive `oughts'. Structure becomes collaborative rather than hierarchical, encouraging a rich and varied information climate, with qualitative notions (`food for thought') at its heart, and springing from a diversity of knowledge and understanding.

15

Using scanning data to measure price and promotion effects

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Heide Milde, Admap, April 1987

This article describes how Nielsen are developing scanner applications in Germany. The current Scantrack service in Germany uses 50 stores from 12 different trade groups. View Summary

This article describes how Nielsen are developing scanner applications in Germany. The current Scantrack service in Germany uses 50 stores from 12 different trade groups. The Nielsen Price Promotion Model is described, from which manufacturers can see the separate effects of price changes and of various promotional activities on their sales volumes and profits. Examples illustrate the uses of this model. The development of Testsight stores in Germany is described. In May 1986, Nielsen opened two sites with marketing facilities enabling purchase of a sample of 1000 households to be linked to test TV commercials. From a paper given at the Campaign/Admap seminar 'Monitoring Advertising Performance', March 1987.

16

Scanning-based services and the Nielsen contribution

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Norman Staples, Admap, April 1987

This article outlines the characteristics and current position of scanner-based services. Nielsen scanning-based services are of two kinds: 1) based on the weekly total sales made by a group of scanning stores; 2) based on individual purchases made by a panel of customers using scanning stores. View Summary

This article outlines the characteristics and current position of scanner-based services. Nielsen scanning-based services are of two kinds: 1) based on the weekly total sales made by a group of scanning stores; 2) based on individual purchases made by a panel of customers using scanning stores. The growth of ERIM is described, especially in France, the USA and Germany (under the name TELERIM). In the UK the system has been tested at Yate, Bristol, and the author predicts it will soon be operating in the London, Southern and Wales & West ITV areas. After a brief account of how ERIM data can be used, the article goes on to describe Scantrack. This provides data on every coded item in each market in 71 key grocery outlets in the UK. Examples are given to illustrate the much more sensitive data this service can provide: questions or seasonality, competition from new products, and the effects of price cuts and promotions. From a paper given at the Campaign/Admap seminar 'Monitoring Advertising Performance', March 1987.

17

EPOS data: a user's view

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Alan Wolfe, Admap, April 1987

The impact and potential of EPOS (electronic point-of-sale technology) is discussed. The data can revolutionise quantified research in the packaged goods field. View Summary

The impact and potential of EPOS (electronic point-of-sale technology) is discussed. The data can revolutionise quantified research in the packaged goods field. It is noted that scanner data belong to the retailers, who may be reluctant to make them available; however, manufacturers need data from good samples of all EPOS retailers to be available for analysis. It is argued that sharing the data (more fully than is currently provided for under the EAN code) would benefit retailers as well as manufacturers. The author stresses the need for retrospective concessions to be negotiated, so that scanner tapes can be provided by retailers for market research purposes with adequate protection for confidentiality at a standard but profitable charge. It would be only fair, since the manufacturers have so far agreed to bar-code their products without asking anything in return. From a paper given at the Campaign/Admap seminar 'Monitoring Advertising Performance, March 1987.

18

Does branding pay?

Includes video content

Recommended by Warc editors

Trends

Best Practice

Ian Davis, Admap, December 1986

A management consultancy view. Branding is alive and well, but in many cases branding power has shifted from manufacturer to retailer (aided by EPOS); in certain markets and circumstances, it may be more profitable for the supplier to concentrate on products (under own-label arrangements) than on brands. View Summary

A management consultancy view. Branding is alive and well, but in many cases branding power has shifted from manufacturer to retailer (aided by EPOS); in certain markets and circumstances, it may be more profitable for the supplier to concentrate on products (under own-label arrangements) than on brands. For managements with a genuine competitive advantage, branding will continue to pay as a commercial investment; for others it will not, and they should reshape their business accordingly. Examples to illustrate these points are quoted. From a paper given at the 1986 Admap/Campaign conference in Budapest.